Wilbur Wilde – Talkin’ & Saxin’ @ Spiegel Zelt at The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Adelaide 1/3/2026
It is always a pleasure to hear a saxophone in rock’n’roll. Think of Baker Street, think of Bruce Springsteen, and, of course, think of Wilbur Wilde with Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons and Ol’ 55.
Wilbur began the evening standing side-stage as a montage of photographs charting his remarkable career played on the screen. As the images faded, he strode centre stage with his trusty saxophone, joined by long-time friend Pip Joyce and his guitar. Talkin’ & Saxin’ is exactly what it promises: Wilde sharing stories from his colourful life, punctuated by bursts of sax on some of his best-known songs. He even set an alarm on his phone for fifty five minutes, joking, “Once I start, I sometimes don’t know when to stop.” After seeing the show, one can understand why.
He got the sax from Joe Camilleri, a long time ago, and has used it ever since. The show was full of tales from his colourful past. How at eighteen he got to tour, playing sax, for Roy Orbison, of Jo Jo Zep being bottom of the bill at a festival in America and the ensuring problems with the audience who didn’t know them, to wonderful stories of working on Hey Hey It’s Saturday.
In-between we had stories of Ol 55 and Frankie J Holden, playing with Garth Brooks and Dire Straits, which didn’t go down that well, but the funniest was the seven second clip of Wilbur in Mad Max. (See if you can find it).
Musically, Joyce and Wilde delivered spirited renditions of Hit and Run, On the Prowl and Going Home, and more, much to the audience’s delight. These moments were reminders that, beyond the humour and nostalgia, Wilde remains a formidable saxophonist with an unmistakable sound.
At fifty five minutes, one feels the show could have gone on for another hour easily. For us of a certain age it was a joyous trip down memory lane; for the younger members of the audience, it was a wonderful Australian rock history lesson.
These stories should be put to paper. They would make a terrific book.
Fringe Review by Geoff Jenke
Wilbur Wilde season ended.